Day 7 – Sir Gawain and the Green Knight “The masterpiece of alliterative poetry.” “The finest Arthurian romance in English.”

Chivalric romance according to Abrams A courtly and chivalric age (not wartime) A courtly and chivalric age (not wartime) Highly developed manners and civility Highly developed manners and civility Standard plot: quest by single knight to gain a lady’s favor Standard plot: quest by single knight to gain a lady’s favor Tournaments, dragons, monsters Tournaments, dragons, monsters Chivalric ideals of courage, loyalty, honor, mercifulness to an opponent, and elaborate manners Chivalric ideals of courage, loyalty, honor, mercifulness to an opponent, and elaborate manners Wonders and marvels, including supernatural events (magic, spells, and enchantments) Wonders and marvels, including supernatural events (magic, spells, and enchantments)

Analyze according to genre Chivalric Romance – Do you see Sir Gawain as entirely different from Beowulf or does it have some similarities? Chivalric Romance – Do you see Sir Gawain as entirely different from Beowulf or does it have some similarities? Look at definitions of the two. Look at definitions of the two. Epic: long verse narrative on a serious subject, told in a formal and elevated style, and centered on a heroic or quasi-divine figure on whose actions depend a tribe, nation, or the human race Epic: long verse narrative on a serious subject, told in a formal and elevated style, and centered on a heroic or quasi-divine figure on whose actions depend a tribe, nation, or the human race

8 characteristics Hero is of great national importance Hero is of great national importance Setting is ample, and may be worldwide Setting is ample, and may be worldwide Action involves superhuman deeds in battle Action involves superhuman deeds in battle Gods and other supernatural beings take a part Gods and other supernatural beings take a part Poem itself is a ceremonial performance Poem itself is a ceremonial performance Narrator begins by stating his argument, invokes a muse, then addresses the epic question Narrator begins by stating his argument, invokes a muse, then addresses the epic question Starts in medias res Starts in medias res Catalogues of principal characters Catalogues of principal characters

Sir Gawain is an actual book The text of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight The text of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Tiny book Tiny book Illuminated manuscript with 4 illustrations Illuminated manuscript with 4 illustrations Fitts – disagreement about how many sections there are Fitts – disagreement about how many sections there are

Three illustrations The Beheading The Beheading

The Seduction

What is this?

Poetry Alliterative verse Alliterative verse Bob (1 stress) Bob (1 stress) Wheel (four rhymed lines of 3 stresses each) Wheel (four rhymed lines of 3 stresses each) “The Pearl Poet”: Same poet as Pearl, Patience, Purity, writing in West Midlands at the same time as Chaucer, but not really in Middle English. He uses an antiquated style to make his subject seem more serious and “higher.” When we get to Chaucer, we won’t need so much help in order to understand it. If you take a class on Chaucer, the teachers just expect you to read it. After a while, it does seem sort of natural, but you just don’t trust yourself as much as you do with modern writers. “The Pearl Poet”: Same poet as Pearl, Patience, Purity, writing in West Midlands at the same time as Chaucer, but not really in Middle English. He uses an antiquated style to make his subject seem more serious and “higher.” When we get to Chaucer, we won’t need so much help in order to understand it. If you take a class on Chaucer, the teachers just expect you to read it. After a while, it does seem sort of natural, but you just don’t trust yourself as much as you do with modern writers.

What can you see about Arthur and the knights of the Round Table?

What is the season of the year?

Why does Sir Gawain step forward and not somebody else, like Sir Lancelot?

Alain Renoir’s cinematographic theory of the writing of the beheading. “close reading” Also see Monty Python and the Holy Grail

Mythological/ Anthropological Anthropological view of the tale so far? Anthropological view of the tale so far? Sir Gawain is associated with the Sun God, whose strength is great in the day and then lessens as the day goes on. Sir Gawain is associated with the Sun God, whose strength is great in the day and then lessens as the day goes on. The Green Man as associated with May Day and the May Pole The Green Man as associated with May Day and the May Pole

Dr. Freud or Dr. Jung? Psychological view of the tale so far? Psychological view of the tale so far? What if you were doing a Freudian reading? What if you were doing a Freudian reading? A Jungian reading? A Jungian reading? In any case, the poem is very humanistic. Gawain’s “only fault is that he loves his life too much.” The poem is about a good man choosing between right and wrong. In any case, the poem is very humanistic. Gawain’s “only fault is that he loves his life too much.” The poem is about a good man choosing between right and wrong.

Questions as you keep reading Which court is more real? Arthur’s or Haut desert? Which court is more real? Arthur’s or Haut desert? What should Gawain do with the Lady? What should Gawain do with the Lady? What is the meaning of green? What is the meaning of green? What kind of king is Arthur? What kind of king is Arthur? What do the animals mean? What do the animals mean?

Anti-French? How you would do a New Historical view? How you would do a New Historical view? Some argue that there is an anti-French theme represented by Arthur’s court. This is due to the 100 Years War. So French poetry and structure were thrust aside. This is one argument for the alliterative revival – an endeavor to find literary independence from France. Some argue that there is an anti-French theme represented by Arthur’s court. This is due to the 100 Years War. So French poetry and structure were thrust aside. This is one argument for the alliterative revival – an endeavor to find literary independence from France.

What values do you see as significant to Sir Gawain? What values do you see as significant to Sir Gawain? From what you know of the Round Table, what values were most significant? From what you know of the Round Table, what values were most significant?

Pentangle “The poem describes Gawain's armor in detail. He carries a red shield that has a pentangle painted on its front. The pentangle is a token of truth. Each of the five points are linked and locked with the next, forming what is called the endless knot. The pentangle is a symbol that Gawain is faultless in his five senses, never found to fail in his five fingers, faithful to the five wounds that Christ received on the cross, strengthened by the five joys that the Virgin Mary had in Jesus (The Annunciation, Nativity, Resurrection, Ascension, and Assumption), and possesses brotherly love, pure mind and manners, and compassion most precious. The inside of the shield is adorned with an image of the Virgin Mary to make sure that Gawain never loses heart.” (Sir Gawain Room) “The poem describes Gawain's armor in detail. He carries a red shield that has a pentangle painted on its front. The pentangle is a token of truth. Each of the five points are linked and locked with the next, forming what is called the endless knot. The pentangle is a symbol that Gawain is faultless in his five senses, never found to fail in his five fingers, faithful to the five wounds that Christ received on the cross, strengthened by the five joys that the Virgin Mary had in Jesus (The Annunciation, Nativity, Resurrection, Ascension, and Assumption), and possesses brotherly love, pure mind and manners, and compassion most precious. The inside of the shield is adorned with an image of the Virgin Mary to make sure that Gawain never loses heart.” (Sir Gawain Room)

Dark Ages? Sir Gawain and the Canterbury Tales were written at a time of transition. The Gawain/ Pearl poet looks backwards to courtly love but Chaucer looks forward to the Renaissance and humanism. Sir Gawain and the Canterbury Tales were written at a time of transition. The Gawain/ Pearl poet looks backwards to courtly love but Chaucer looks forward to the Renaissance and humanism. Neither book (unlike Dante’s Divine Comedy ) was focused on heaven. The rewards, punishments, conflicts, etc. were based in this world. The focus is on human frailty and human greatness. There is sympathy for the human condition. Neither book (unlike Dante’s Divine Comedy ) was focused on heaven. The rewards, punishments, conflicts, etc. were based in this world. The focus is on human frailty and human greatness. There is sympathy for the human condition.

Chivalric ideal Loyalty to God, King, Lady (remember loyalty from Beowulf). But this doesn’t always work – what do you do if there is a conflict in loyalties? Gawain fails in all three of these respects, as you will see. But he also succeeds. Loyalty to God, King, Lady (remember loyalty from Beowulf). But this doesn’t always work – what do you do if there is a conflict in loyalties? Gawain fails in all three of these respects, as you will see. But he also succeeds.

Story as fertility myth, ritual In European spring festivals, maypoles were set up to represent sacred trees, and a sacred marriage was enacted between a May Queen—a descendant of countless fertility goddesses reaching back to the Neolithic and the SumerianInanna— and a companion known as the Green Man, himself a descendant of all those ancient fertility heroes such as Dumuzi, Attis, and Adonis, many of whom were associated with sacred trees. A later relative of the Green Man was the Green Knight in the Middle English romance of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, in which the theme of decapitation suggests the ancient ritual of fertile sacrifice for the good of humanity, a process reenacted in the Christian story of Jesus, who died on the “tree”-cross and was resurrected in the spring, symbolizing a new spiritual fertility. In European spring festivals, maypoles were set up to represent sacred trees, and a sacred marriage was enacted between a May Queen—a descendant of countless fertility goddesses reaching back to the Neolithic and the SumerianInanna— and a companion known as the Green Man, himself a descendant of all those ancient fertility heroes such as Dumuzi, Attis, and Adonis, many of whom were associated with sacred trees. A later relative of the Green Man was the Green Knight in the Middle English romance of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, in which the theme of decapitation suggests the ancient ritual of fertile sacrifice for the good of humanity, a process reenacted in the Christian story of Jesus, who died on the “tree”-cross and was resurrected in the spring, symbolizing a new spiritual fertility.treessacred marriagefertilityNeolithic SumerianInannaheroesDumuziAdonis Green KnightGawainsacrificeChristianJesustreessacred marriagefertilityNeolithic SumerianInannaheroesDumuziAdonis Green KnightGawainsacrificeChristianJesus

Gary Varner says The symbolic “marriage” of the May queen and King was viewed as a magical aid to the growth and fertility of vegetation. (Varner 78) The symbolic “marriage” of the May queen and King was viewed as a magical aid to the growth and fertility of vegetation. (Varner 78) The Maypole represented the axis mundi, the center of the universe, the Cosmic Tree. (Varner 78) The Maypole represented the axis mundi, the center of the universe, the Cosmic Tree. (Varner 78) “the entire ceremony is symbolic of renewed life, sexual union, resurrection and Spring” (Cooper quoted in Varner 79). “the entire ceremony is symbolic of renewed life, sexual union, resurrection and Spring” (Cooper quoted in Varner 79). May Day festivals then were not just an innocent day of games and bonfires. They were celebrations marking the end of winter, the renewal of life and the efforts of everyone to ensure a prosperous and healthy year to follow. They also recognized the importance of the forests and trees and the spirits that protected and lived within those trees. The Green Man was present in each festival as the May King or Jack-in-the-Green and figuratively laid his life down so that the life of nature could continue. (Varner 81) May Day festivals then were not just an innocent day of games and bonfires. They were celebrations marking the end of winter, the renewal of life and the efforts of everyone to ensure a prosperous and healthy year to follow. They also recognized the importance of the forests and trees and the spirits that protected and lived within those trees. The Green Man was present in each festival as the May King or Jack-in-the-Green and figuratively laid his life down so that the life of nature could continue. (Varner 81)